60 GHz – Breaking Through the Barriers

Market research estimates that the number of internet-connected devices will reach 25 billion units by 2020. That is three times the global population as estimated by the UN. Between smartphones and connected home appliances streaming 4K video or sending simple temperature settings, the world will be more connected and sooner than everyone of us expects. We will be facing the ultimate digital congestion. While wired data interfaces such as USB3.0 and Ethernet offer gigabits of transfer speeds, consumers are demanding wireless connectivity experience offered by popular technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, Wi-Fi, in the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz spectrum, is already heavily congested today and will not scale to keep up with the future demands of the connected consumer. Wireless technologies in the 60 GHz frequencies offer much needed spectrum and gigabits of data capacity. It is the best wireless solution to meet future demands of the always connected user.

While OEMs in the consumer electronics industry have embraced 60 GHz technology and have been implementing it into many consumer products such as DTVs, projectors, laptops and adapters, many maintain the perception that 60 GHz may is not viable for broad consumer device usage due to its cost, power consumption and large form factor.

Meet the game changer: Letv’s “Le Max” is the world’s first smartphone offering 60 GHz millimeter-wave wireless video technology. The Le Max was announced in mid-April 2015 and it establishes a new benchmark for low power and robust wireless performance millimeter-wave design in mobile device form factors. Using SiBEAM’s UltraGig™ SiI6400 transmitter, the single-chip solution integrates network processor, RF transceiver, and in-package antennas, offering Full HD quality with near-zero latency for immersive wireless entertainment and gaming applications.

While SiI6400 supports the WirelessHD™ standard to deliver the ultimate wireless video experience, SiBEAM™ has expanded its 60 GHz millimeter-wave expertise to the next generation Wi-Fi technology called WiGig/802.11ad. Also operating at 60 GHz, this new Wi-Fi specification adds up to 7 Gb/s of data bandwidth to your next generation wireless network. In addition to SiBEAM, other key industry leaders are promoting WiGig 802.11ad in the mobile, PC, and networking markets.

So remove any reservations you may have against 60 GHz. The technology is no longer a science experiment. There are real products, from well-established companies, solving real consumer problems. Start looking at how 60 GHz can solve your next connectivity problem!